


Faded

by turquoiseorange



Category: Original Work
Genre: Depression, F/M, I love my character, I put my character through hell, Original Character(s), Suicide mention, can I still be considered a nice person, he just needs some development, he's in for a rough ride and this is just getting started
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-22 07:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12476776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turquoiseorange/pseuds/turquoiseorange
Summary: Marcus is one of the main characters I've come up with from the story ideas floating around in my head. I can't really say much here as a synopsis because I basically spell out what happens in the story. Poor guy goes through a lot of shit but he'll be okay in the end.Probably.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was prompted to finish this because I'm in creative writing this semester and we have to write a short story. It was easier to write on a story I already had, rather than come up with something new on the spot.
> 
> Marcus was one of my first characters, and I honestly love him so much. Feel kinda bad having to put him through all this but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 
> 
> The first chapter is like the first section (~2 pages) and I'll update the next one (or two?) parts soon. (actually have to finish it this time because I have a concrete due date.. ha..aa..)

When he was five years old, Marcus lived in a house on the outskirts of New York city. His father provided for the family, but was known to drink too much and not hold back his anger issues when the time came. His mother tried her best to hold things down at home, even if it meant being tossed around like a rag doll when her husband came back from an evening of unsuccessful gambling at the bar. Marcus didn't understand the severity of the situation- even when it hit him upside the face. His deep green eyes welled with tears beneath a mop of jet black hair. That moment was the final straw for his mother. She could handle being the victim of emotional and physical abuse, but touching her son was out of the question. 

One thing led to another, and Marcus’ parents went through with a divorce. His mother fought hard and won full custody, then chose to move back to her hometown in California to raise her child.

When he was eight years old, Marcus and his mother finally found a home for them to live in- a small peach-colored house in the suburbs of California. There they would be comfortable- for once, happy. His first friend when he moved there was a girl named Kit. She was a six-year-old who lived two doors down, a brunette with bangs that hung just above her eyes, and a grin a few teeth shy of a full smile. Her mother came over with a plate of cookies to welcome Marcus and his mother to the neighborhood. As the adults talked, Kit and Marcus played games and talked and wrestled until it was time to call it a day. From that day onward, the two knew they would be the best of friends.

Over the years, Marcus and Kit became inseparable. Their personalities mingled and played off one another’s, a self-sustaining energy source of entertainment. The went to the same school, raced each other to the nearby park, and frequently held sleep overs at each other’s houses. Nothing else mattered in their worlds, except sharing each other’s company.

When he was 13, Kit told Marcus her family had planned to go on a road trip. They would leave during winter break, and tour the mountains, blanketed with freshly fallen snow. Although Marcus was sad to see his friend go, they had already anticipated situations such as those. By then each of them had their own cell phones, and the two promised to text each other often, as a check-up. Every day Marcus waited for the text to come, his heart racing as he read about the adventures his friend had gone on that day. Unfortunately, the moment was short lived.

About halfway through the scheduled trip, Marcus stopped receiving messages. He tried sending a few of his own, but no voice answered them. He was worried, of course, but reasoned some anomaly happened. Maybe she lost signal, or broke her phone, or her data ran out. Surely, she would text him as soon as she could, or at least see him when her family returned.

But they never did.

A few weeks passed and school reconvened for the second semester. No matter where Marcus searched, Kit was nowhere to be found. His mother tried to reassure him their family was probably enjoying themselves so much they simply decided to stay longer. Her words ran over him, as a hole gnawed at Marcus’ stomach, his worry turning to fear. He visited Kit’s house every day after school, hoping he would catch her return.

The school was notified first. Months finally passed before the principal called Marcus to come in with his mother, so they could explain the situation and discuss what happened. She briefed them on how Kit would no longer attend classes or school, because there had been an accident.

During the trip, there was a large snow storm in the area Kit’s family had been traveling. Their car lost its traction, swerving wildly on the icy road, and plummeted over the edge of the cliffs. There were no survivors.

Marcus’ stomach dropped as soon as the principal began talking. Before she could even discuss the options they had, Marcus threw back the plastic chair he was sitting on and ran out of the room, out of the school, but not out of the nightmare he was living. He refused to believe Kit was truly gone. Rather, it must be a game, a prank- albeit a sadistic one- but no matter. She could count on him to find her.

Marcus ran to the park where they used to play as children- no luck. He rushed to the nearby burger stand to see if she had stopped to grab a bite to eat- nothing but empty tables and stray napkins. Finally, he returned to his neighborhood and forced open the gate to Kit’s backyard. It screeched loudly behind him as he ran around the side of the house. He stood underneath her window and cried and screamed her name out until his voice was hoarse. But no one came. He sank to his knees and sat there, hot tears streaming down his face, finally allowing the reality of the situation to sink in. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, she was never coming back.

Marcus’ mother saw how Marcus was affected by news of The Accident, and tried her best to console him. Despite her efforts, he continued to shut himself away, not eating, barely sleeping. His hair grew long and greasy, green eyes lack of their original luster. His once tan skin paled as he secluded himself in the darkness. He didn’t want attention or toys or treats. He just wanted his best friend back.

Marcus tried to focus on something, anything but The Accident, but it nagged relentlessly at the back of his mind. Weeks passed and he still couldn’t bring himself to move on. The one he felt closest to, whom he practically grew up with, and had begun to love, was gone. Yet here he was, still breathing, heart beating, cursed to live his life alone.

One day, Marcus decided to take matters into his own hands. School had lost its charm, once Kit’s optimistic personality was no longer there to brighten his day. He couldn’t focus on homework, earning failing grades left and right in his classes. He secluded himself from others when put into social situations, unable to start conversations because he knew they wouldn’t understand his situation.

That afternoon, Marcus and his mother spent time at home, as per usual. She told him she had to run for groceries, but she’d be right back and make dinner for him. He didn’t respond. She sighed, her own black hair becoming a mess and the circles under her eyes more prominent than her dark makeup. But there wasn't much else to do. She backed out of the driveway, car engine fading into the distance. Only then did Marcus move.

He was tall for his age, but still needed a step stool to reach the sleeping pills his mother kept on the top shelf of the cabinet. When he found the bottle, he couldn't help but feel satisfied hearing the sharp crack of the seal breaking. Without a second thought, he jerked his head back and consumed the entire bottle. Marcus sank to the floor and began to sob. Soon, cramps built in his stomach, until the pain was unbearable. His vision became fuzzy around the edges, slowly fading to black. A hint of rust appeared at the back of his throat. He coughed, and couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m coming, Kit.” He whispered, before passing out, his body falling limply to the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

When he woke up, Marcus found himself staring at the same white walls of his bedroom, lying snugly beneath his sheets. He rubbed his face and cursed himself for trying something so stupid. He should have known his plan wouldn’t work. Rather than mulling on the subject for too long, he decided to check on his mother. He figured she must have tucked him in, and reasoned he should discuss with her the stunt he just pulled. He didn’t want her to worry. Again, he muttered to himself, it was a really stupid idea.

In the kitchen Marcus helped himself to a glass of water. Early morning sunlight streamed through the windows as his mother cheerfully greeted him. She stood about the stove, cooking something that smelled delicious. She announced she was making pancakes, and suggested Marcus to invite Kit over to join them.

Marcus’ stomach dropped at the mention of her name, face paling. After hesitating to answer, his mother picked up on the shift in his demeanor. She was about to ask him about it, but he quickly cleared his throat. He would go see her in person and ask, he explained hurriedly, before running out the door to find his friend. If what his mother said was true, then maybe his plan had actually been successful.

His heart hammered in anticipation as he skidded to a halt at her front door. He knocked loudly, and after a few seconds Kit opened the door, rubbing her eyes in a half-asleep daze. Her brown hair was a mess about her shoulders, oversized pajamas hung off her small frame at odd angles. Before she knew what hit her, Marcus jumped up the step into the house and tackled Kit in a hug. Still dazed, Kit stumbled backward and awkwardly patted his back as he squeezed her tightly. She was confused, but glad to see Marcus expressing so much enthusiasm.

On a normal day, Marcus could reason something was wrong with the situation he was in. But no amount of reason could sway the relief and joy of being reunited with a friend he previously thought was deceased. He didn’t have a care in the world, and decided to go along with it by living in the moment.

Four years passed and the two friends became closer than ever before. After building up their friendship for so long, Marcus finally worked up the courage to ask Kit out. And of course, she said yes.

Another year passed and Marcus celebrated his 18th birthday. He had gotten back on track with his grades, graduated high school, and planned to attend a local college the upcoming fall. Attending different schools made it more difficult for Marcus and Kit to see each other as often as they would have liked. But nonetheless, when they finished their homework for the evening, they took turns running to each other’s houses to spend time together.

Halfway through the semester, a sandy-haired boy with a lean build and steel grey eyes greeted Marcus in the hallway. He introduced himself as Jason, and urged Marcus he had an important topic to discuss with him. Although the request was sudden and odd, Marcus complied.

Jason smiled and gestured Marcus to follow close behind. Once around the corner of a building and Jason was certain the two of them were alone, he pulled a smooth black stone from his pocket. He dropped in on the floor anticlimactically.

Marcus raised an eyebrow, unsure of the intentions of this strange boy, but Jason simply held up a single finger. A moment later a swirling dark hole formed in the ground, causing Marcus to jump back in surprise. Before he could digest down what was going on, Jason pushed Marcus inside, then followed suit shortly after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it was just brainstorming at first, but I actually have a basic structure for how I want this to go haha.... 
> 
> this chapter is super short, just because it makes sense to cut the idea off here. More will be updated soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Once his vision cleared, Marcus noticed he had landed in a cave, dimly lit by candles littered about the alcoves of the room. It seemed small at first, but appeared to open up further down into something resembling an arena. His heart hammered against his chest, an incessant pounding of blood in his ears. But before he had the chance to scream, Jason covered his mouth with a firm, yet soft, hand. Marcus shoved him off, and Jason started to explain why he had taken him there.

Jason began with the portal, and how it transported them into a land called Kailon, a separate world from the one they called home. In this world, war ravaged on between the two kingdoms that ruled the land. An ancient prophecy foretold this could only end by the hands of five heroes. The seriousness of his tone made Marcus a little nervous. 

Even more surprising news came as Jason explained they were chosen as two of the aforementioned heroes. Marcus stared blankly at Jason for a moment, then pivoted to turn towards the cave walls. He felt around for anything meaningful, something that would return him home to normality. Nothing but cracks and crevices in the slick black rock, but he still wanted to try. Whatever nonsense Jason spouted was plain crazy. He just wanted to go home.

A quick grasp of the shoulders and a flip later, Marcus stared into the stormy eyes of the boy before him. They no longer seemed cold like before- rather, Marcus sensed a hint of desperation within them. Marcus jerked away, the closeness of Jason towering over him suddenly made his face hot with discomfort. He ran a hand through his tousled black hair to let out some nervous energy, then turned his attention back to Jason.

How could he accept that so easily? Marcus had a completely normal lifestyle, and here Jason came along, telling him to forget everything because he was meant for more- a bigger picture. His outburst of frustration caused Jason to recoil initially. But as he straightened his posture, Marcus noticed Jason’s expression reflect something almost no one had shown him before. Understanding.

Marcus could still feel himself shutting down, mentally and physically. He was finally happy with his life, and didn’t appreciate Jason barging in and trying to take that away from him. Jason sighed and folded his arms across his chest. He could not force Marcus to join him, but would greatly appreciate it if he at least gave it some consideration before completely disregarding the idea. Marcus idly agreed, impatiently hoping his submission would wrap things up so he could return home. Jason fished around in his pocket once again to grab another stone, then tossed it on the ground to open a portal for the two of them to return to Earth.

Still overwhelmed from the sudden rush of information, Marcus skipped the other class he had scheduled and decided to head home. It felt like a rash decision at first- he knew his mother would still be at work for a few hours, and didn’t really feel like returning to an empty residence. But Kit had finished school and was probably home by them, so he decided it would be good to pay her a visit.

When Kit opened the door, she could immediately sense something was wrong. In her usual fashion, she took matters into her own hands and grabbed his wrist so she could lead him. She rushed Marcus inside, wrapped him in a large fuzzy blanket before tossing him on her bed and handing him a mug of freshly made hot chocolate. Once he was comfortable amongst the hoards of plush animals and pillows, she asked him to tell him what was on his mind.

He described the mysterious boy, Jason, who appeared and took him to a strange new place called Kailon, which was apparently another world. Supposedly he and Jason were foretold as protectors of Kailon based off of an old prophecy, and Jason wanted him to stay for training and prepare for an upcoming battle. Kit placed her hand on the small of his back and rubbed small circles. He hadn’t noticed until then the blanket was balled up in each of his fists, and unconscious reaction to the stress he was going through.

Who did this guy think he was to say something like that? He wondered. And if it was true, what made him think he was ready for that sort of responsibility? He never asked to be a hero. For once in his life, he just wished something would stay okay, instead of throwing him around like a ragdoll against the cosmos.

Kit reassured him, saying she believed things would be okay regardless of what the boy said, as long as Marcus was happy with his decision. He stopped for a moment and studied her. Wide brown eyes stared up at him innocently, the same warm color as the hair that framed her face. Her lips curved up in a hesitant smile, but her overall expression told him she was worried. He sighed, then leaned in to give her an unexpected kiss. Her cute giggle of a reaction was music to his ears. He thanked her for helping, but reasoned he still needed time to think on his own.

A few weeks passed by and the boy Jason appeared at school once again. Marcus reflected on how he acted the previous time, and admitted he had not really given the idea of being a hero a chance. Maybe he could try training for this so-called battle, and if it proved to be too much investment, he reserved the right to stop and return home.

He relayed the news to Jason, who was glad to hear of Marcus at least giving this a chance. They returned to the same spot on campus as the previous time, hidden away from the other students in the corner of a building, allowing Jason to easily open another portal for them to jump through.

Even more time passed and Marcus started to get the hang of training with Jason. The majority of it was mental training- focusing on the awareness of one’s surroundings, so that he could sense the presence of the objects around him. Marcus hoped there would be more physical training involved, but when he asked Jason explained he would have to be patient, and things would come in due time.

After a long day of training, Marcus’ favorite pastime was visiting Kit’s house to talk and tell her how things were going. They situated in Kit’s room on her bed, where he detailed what he and Jason did, and that he (reluctantly) admitted training to be a hero was not all bad. Kit was glad he enjoyed himself, for what seemed like the first point in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm mostly just trying to get this down all together so it sounds kinda shitty rn. I just barely started getting into character descriptions, and it's already like 6 pages in. I need to fix that, among other things....
> 
> But otherwise I guess it's doing okay?


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Marcus started noticing differences in his environment- glitches of sorts happening around him. If he focused too long on a nearby tree, the leaves would dance erratically back and forth. The people who passed him on the streets had indistinguishable features- blurred afterimages, causing uncertainty, questions forming in the back of his mind. Although it didn’t hinder his walk on the way to school, it was obvious something was wrong- whether with himself or the world, he could not tell.

At school, Marcus found Jason looking for him. He ran up to Marcus with a concerned, yet excited expression on his face. You’re getting so close, he tried to explain. But Marcus couldn’t understand. Reality seemed to be fading, leaving him in a panic. Marcus wanted Jason to tell him what was going on- since he seemed to have all the answers. For once, instead of being cryptic and dancing around the answer, he wanted to know exactly why the world felt like it was ending.

Jason sighed and the excitement in his eyes shifted, appearing to reflect almost pity. He explained that none of what happened was real, rather, it was simply a manifestation created by his brain to compensate for his lack of consciousness. Marcus’ blank look prompted him to keep going.

“You’re in a coma.” The words slammed into him as if someone dropped weights on his chest. He stumbled backwards onto a pillar, leaning his entire body into it for support. Jason tried to comfort him by putting a hand on his shoulder, but Marcus shrugged it off. That would explain the shimmering and glitches, but why now? And what about Kit?

Oh no. Kit.

Marcus’ face must have reflected his thoughts, because Jason grabbed him by both shoulders. His hands clasped down firmly, keeping Marcus in place momentarily. Kit is only a distraction, Marcus, she’s holding you back. His grey eyes bore into him intensely. You need to let her go so you can wake up. You’re so close. But maybe he didn’t want to.

Marcus shoved Jason away and broke off in a full-on sprint. No footsteps followed but his own. What Jason said still didn’t make sense, but the more time passed, the more he worried about Kit. If this wasn’t real, then…

Soon enough he reached the familiar steps of Kit’s front porch. He knocked on the door as calmly as he could, despite the adrenaline coursing through his system like a runaway train. Kit answered the door, clear as day. Her hair had been combed, but a few blonde strands strayed out of place. Her clothes fit more naturally, complementing her complexion. Wide brown eyes stared up at him, growing confused at the rush Marcus seemed to be in. Tears began to well up in the corners of his eyes. Kit gasped, grabbed him by the arm, and ushered him inside.

Marcus wiped at his eyes and flopped down on Kit’s bed. When he glanced at her again, his heart dropped. A fuzzy outline formed, surrounding Kit’s figure entirely. None of this was real.

She wasn’t the same, but he pulled her in close nonetheless. He had spent the last few years in her company, growing close to her. But he knew now, that no matter how much it pained him, he had to let her go. The real Kit would have wanted him to move on, to live his life and make the most of it- because he had a chance that she did not. 

He pushed this Kit away to look at her once more. Her face was blurry, and the lower half of her body began to disappear. Despite the heaviness in his chest, he smiled.

“I love you.” He whispered. The afterimage of the girl in front of him shimmered, smiling.

“I love you too, Marcus.” She said before completely fading from existence.

Marcus inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, concentrating. A surge washed over him- a sudden head-rush that almost gave him nausea. When he opened his eyes, the environment around him was different.

Marcus found himself lying in a hospital room, the walls a bright, stark white. His body felt physically exhausted, and mentally he felt so tired he could go back to sleep without a second thought. As if reading his mind, a hand clamped down on his arm. His eyes snapped open to meet another pair of eyes staring back at him. Don’t fall asleep yet, they seemed to say. It took a moment to realize the eyes belonged to Jason, the boy in his dreams. Jason smiled and patted Marcus’ forearm.

“Glad you could make it.” He said. The heaviness on Marcus’ chest was no longer there. He watched with interest as Jason turned to fish around the bedside table, looking for something. He finally found a pen and paper, then with a sudden fervor scribbled something before setting it aside.

“There’s my number. Call me when you’re well enough. We still have a lot of training to do.” He waved shortly, then saw himself to the door. Despite the grogginess, Marcus had a moment of clarity and finally made his decision. 

“Hey Jason.” Marcus called out. Jason stopped short to turn and raised an eyebrow at him. Marcus smiled. “I’ll see you soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmm boi this was intense
> 
> tbh this is the first time I've actually concluded an idea I have for a story and it feels really good ! Even though this isn't really either of the stories I plan to turn this background into, but that's okay. It's done, it's out there.
> 
> Okay maybe not done but still. This is what I have for now, I'll probably come back and edit the next couple days (between work and classes) so it sounds better. More details (visual) and whatnot.


End file.
